Acting

Dana Kotenko

Dana is a Ukrainian actor and filmmaker based in Ireland. Originally from Kyiv, she has spent over three years in Ireland developing her work in film through a degree in Film and Screen Media at University College Cork, alongside acting training with Darren Kelleher at ActorsVision and further study with Jon Witty. While her practice spans filmmaking, production, and movement, Dana considers acting the core of her artistic identity. Her background in dance and movement informs her sensitivity to physical detail and emotional nuance, shaping the way she approaches both performance and visual storytelling. Her creative interests include explorations of female and queer identity, LGBTQ representation, and the emotional and psychological dimensions of character. Working across documentaries, music videos, and narrative short films, including projects showcased at the Fastnet Film Festival, she remains committed to developing her voice as both an actor and a filmmaker. She is open to collaborative, exploratory projects with visual and performing artists, with a particular focus on performance work that values creativity and shared vision.

Acting credits

Benji poster
NR

Take a peek into the unsettling world of “Benji,” where every moment teeters on the edge of suspense. Fresh off the heels of a young couple’s arrival at Ms. O’Donnell’s enigmatic house, we delve into their gripping journey as they seek to uncover Benji’s long-lost archaeological find. With tension mounting and secrets lurking around every corner, their quest promises to unravel more than just buried relics.

Benji

2024

No artwork available
NR

A young boy juggles with the inexplicable urge to become a legendary glass kleptomaniac. Shattered by his past, he must confront his unusual compulsion before it breaks him beyond repair.

Cracked

2025

Voices from Ukraine poster
NR

On the 14th of December 2025, ‘Voices from Ukraine’ was hosted with Out of Frame Cork, a film screening and talk event which provides a platform to local, independent and diverse film talent, featuring themed sessions with filmmaker Q & A's. For Out of Frame’s 27th film talk, Shane Kelleher took the opportunity to shine a light on the ongoing war in Ukraine while showcasing the work of four amazing filmmakers and artists from Ukraine, who now make their voices heard in Ireland. With the war entering its fourth year, Film Nerd Productions decided to turn 'Voices of Ukraine' into a feature length documentary. The audio recorded from the Out of Frame session is featured alongside footage from the rally in support of Ukraine that took place in Cork city, on the Eve of the four year anniversary of the Russian full scale invasion, The Greater Chornobyl Cause annual Chornobyl commemorative service held in Bishop Lucey Park and new interviews from local Ukrainian artists / activists.

Voices from Ukraine

2026

Behind the camera

No artwork available
NR

A young boy juggles with the inexplicable urge to become a legendary glass kleptomaniac. Shattered by his past, he must confront his unusual compulsion before it breaks him beyond repair.

Cracked

2025

The Life and Death of a Home poster
NR

Once vibrant and full of life, the house now sits in quiet decay, its walls cracked and its windows clouded with dust. But within its aging frame, the memories of its former inhabitants still linger. The Life and Death of a Home tells the story of a house that remembers. As the years pass and nature reclaims it, the house reflects on the lives it sheltered—the laughter, the arguments, the quiet moments of solitude. With each creak of its floorboards and whisper of the wind through broken glass, the house becomes a silent storyteller, holding onto the essence of those who have come and gone. It’s a tale of time’s passage and the way places can keep the echoes of the past alive.

The Life and Death of a Home

2024

The Life and Death of a Home poster
NR

Once vibrant and full of life, the house now sits in quiet decay, its walls cracked and its windows clouded with dust. But within its aging frame, the memories of its former inhabitants still linger. The Life and Death of a Home tells the story of a house that remembers. As the years pass and nature reclaims it, the house reflects on the lives it sheltered—the laughter, the arguments, the quiet moments of solitude. With each creak of its floorboards and whisper of the wind through broken glass, the house becomes a silent storyteller, holding onto the essence of those who have come and gone. It’s a tale of time’s passage and the way places can keep the echoes of the past alive.

The Life and Death of a Home

2024